✦ Lowest GI of quick-cooking oats ✦ Chewy satisfying texture ✦ Full beta-glucan content ✦ Minimal processing

Steel-cut oats (also called pinhead or Irish oats) are whole oat groats that have been cut into 2-3 pieces by steel blades rather than rolled flat. This minimal processing gives them the lowest glycaemic index of any quick-cooking oat format, a chewy texture, and longer cooking time. They contain the same beta-glucan and nutrients as whole groats.

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Preparation note

Simmer in 3-4 parts water for 20-30 minutes; or soak overnight and cook in 10 minutes. Can also be prepared in advance and reheated — they keep well for 5 days in the fridge.

Sources: CoFID 2021

Macronutrients per 100g

381
kcal
Energy
12.5
g
Protein
57.8
g
Carbs
8.37
g
Fibre
5.80
g
Fat
0.00
g
Salt

How to read GI & GL

GI (Glycemic Index) rates how fast the carbohydrates in a food raise blood glucose compared to pure glucose (= 100). Low GI ≤ 55 means a slow, steady rise. But GI says nothing about how much carbohydrate you're actually eating.

GL (Glycemic Load) fixes that. It multiplies GI by the actual grams of carbohydrate per typical serving: GL = GI × carbs per serving ÷ 100. This makes it the more useful number for real-world blood sugar management.

Why they can disagree — a food with low GI can still carry a high GL if the serving is large and carb-dense. Conversely, watermelon has a high GI (72) but a low GL (4) because a normal portion contains very few carbs. Always read both together.

Low GL ≤ 10 Modest total glucose impact per serving.
Medium GL 11–19 Moderate impact — manageable for most.
High GL ≥ 20 Significant carb load per serving. Consider a smaller portion.

Source: Atkinson et al., International Tables of GI & GL Values 2021, Am J Clin Nutr.

Glycemic Index & Load

52
GI Score
🟢 Low GI
10
GL / Serving
Low Load

Low GI food — causes a slow, steady rise in blood sugar. Ideal for sustained energy, blood glucose control, and reducing insulin demand.

Glycemic Load (GL = GI × carbs ÷ 100) accounts for portion size. A low GL means this food has minimal real-world blood sugar impact.

Source: Atkinson et al., International Tables of GI & GL Values 2021, Am J Clin Nutr

Vitamins & Minerals

Nutrient Per 100g % Daily Value* Level
Phosphorus 417 mg 60%
Potassium 376 mg 19%
Molybdenum 164 µg 327%
Magnesium 129 mg 34%
Calcium 51.3 mg 6%
Folate 30.0 µg 15%
Selenium 29.0 µg 53%
Iron 3.80 mg 27%
Manganese 3.41 mg 171%
Zinc 2.84 mg 28%
Niacin (B3) 0.926 mg 6%
Copper 0.411 mg 41%
Thiamin (B1) 0.334 mg 30%
Vitamin B6 0.119 mg 8%
Biotin (Vitamin B7) 22.0 µg 44%

* % Daily Value is the proportion of an adult EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) supplied by 100g of this food. NRVs are the labelling standard — the same basis as the “%RI” figures printed on food packaging — so these percentages are directly comparable with a shop label. They are a single adult figure and do not vary by age or sex, which is why they sometimes differ from UK dietary reference values: the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg where the UK RNI is 40mg. When Nutriofia assesses your own intake in the reports and trackers, it uses the age- and sex-specific UK values instead.

Fibre is shown without a percentage. Our fibre values use the UK Englyst NSP method, while the published 30g daily goal is an AOAC figure — the two are measured differently and a single percentage would mislead. How we source and normalise our data →

Sources: CoFID 2021
Grains & Cereals Oats High fibre High protein 🇺🇸 USDA FDC 2025